Customer Reviews
Not what i was expecting - By: Rose, 23 Sep 2008 
I bought this CD based on the rave reviews it had received & because there was such a long list of songs. However the style of the music is not quite what i was expecting. I am no music buff but the style of the singing is more Irish folk/light opera music than jolly children's music. The words of some songs are not very clear & hard to sing along to. Also, the music sounds quite samey due to the style of the two singers. If you are a music pro this might be for you but if, like me, you wanted something simple & jolly to entertain your child & sing along to this is not the right CD.
Charming - By: S. Arnott, 14 Sep 2008 
I was a little reluctant to spend so much on a nursery rhymes CD (considering how cheap most of the others are), but I thought I'd take a chance. I'm very glad I did, this is a charming collection made to the highest production standards. The singing & instrumentals are outstanding. The CD also comes with a lyric booklet & historical notes that outline the origin of each rhyme. I bought this for my children, but it's also going on my iPod.
A superb collection of traditional British nursery rhymes - By: , 21 Mar 2001 Jeremy Barlow's Broadside Band, with singers Vivien Ellis & Tim Laycock present a stunning array of nursery rhymes, performed with crystal clarity & huge amounts of energy. The collection is unpatronising to children, & the use of original instruments (and excellent arrangements) means that the origins of the songs are just around the corner. The nursery rhymes are groupedin sections - cats & mice, food, etc. - & end with a lullaby group; my only reservation is that at the end of the CD, there is a moderately rousing instrumental version of 'Girls & Boys Come Out to Play', which I always think may startle my daughter who has been charmed & soothed progressively by all 67 minutes of the album. One of the rewards of listening to this CD over & over again (two or three times a day on average) is that I now know the words & several extra verses of rhymes I could only half remember from my childhood. Interesting sleeve notes comment here & there on the historical background, but are uneven, & mostly taken from Iona & Peter Opie's book about the origins of nursery rhymes. I shall certainly explore the Broadside Band's other collections of traditional music.
